Stefanie J. Lipson

Partner

Profile

Stefanie J. Lipson's practice focuses on providing families with counsel in all aspects of their personal legacy planning, including operation and succession planning for family owned businesses, tax efficient long term wealth transfer solutions, and funding and ongoing administration of family foundations. Ms. Lipson specializes in providing tax counsel for multi-generational family owned businesses, real estate entrepreneurs and high profile entertainment industry figures.

Ms. Lipson’s close relationships with her clients and her understanding of their businesses and wealth structure allow her to employ a holistic approach to addressing a client’s long term planning needs. Working together with the family’s team of advisors, including family office general counsel, outside business managers, accountants and wealth management advisors, and using her specialized tax background, Ms. Lipson provides counsel to the senior generation by crafting responsible and tax efficient strategies to meet the family’s wealth transfer and charitable goals while addressing family governance and business management concerns that arise in the wealth transition process.

Ms. Lipson’s unique approach engages multiple generations of the family from the early stages of the planning process by assisting in educating the younger generations on the privileges and responsibilities of wealth transfer, while working with this generation to understand the importance of adopting long term planning strategies early for the next generation.

Whether planning for a significant liquidity event or assisting in the transition of family business equity and management interests, Ms. Lipson works with each generation of the family to address the “What’s Next” question.

Recognizing the difficulties and emotional hardship the death of a loved one can cause, Ms. Lipson’s assistance to families through the post-death administration process provides families with continuity of counsel during a sensitive time, helping surviving spouses, children, siblings and grandchildren navigate the complications of wealth transition and asset division while carrying out their loved ones’ wishes.

Ms. Lipson has been recognized by Southern California’s Super Lawyers as a Rising Star each year since 2009.

Estate Planning Experience

Represented family in intergenerational split dollar funding of $100 Million of insurance in dynasty trust structure with a corporate Trustee, using arrangement between Gen1 and Trustee to fund insurance on lives of Gen2 for the benefit of Gen3 at zero out of pocket gift tax cost.

Represented senior generation in multi-year transfer of majority interest in family limited partnership valued in excess of $70 Million through series of annual gifting programs and sales to irrevocable grantor trusts at a transfer cost of approximately 60 cents on the dollar.

Counseled real estate captain of industry on funding, structure and operation of $500 Million family foundation holding real estate and financial assets managed by existing dedicated family office structure.

Advised hedge fund manager on series of short term rolling Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts utilizing incentive stock options to transfer in excess of $5 Million of assets at zero gift tax cost.

Represented second generation of family owned equipment manufacturing business in administration of family trusts following wife’s death and post-death sale of business to family trusts to reduce estate tax burden for third generation on surviving spouse’s death.

Represented new partner of multi-office real estate firm in structuring family assets and life insurance to provide spouse and children with additional credit protection and tax savings motivated by partner’s potential exposure in elevated role.

Represented Los Angeles fashion design mogul in transfer of series interests in Delaware LLC real estate holding company to extended family members and continued management of LLC following fractionalized ownership.

Represented sibling in transfer of units of Delaware Statutory Trust formed with other siblings and family trusts, holding stock in real estate holding company organized as a C Corporation, LLC real estate holding companies, financial assets and directly owned fractional interests in real property valued in excess of $50 Million.

Represented entrepreneur in implementing core estate plan outside California with corporate Trustee to take advantage of greater privacy laws and flexibility to protect identity of trust Settlor and beneficiaries.

Represented multiple generations of family members in textile manufacturing business to develop management transition and equity transfer of stock of company consistent with best interests of continued operation of the business.

Represented founding partner of investment banking firm in early adoption of wealth planning structure and education on pre-transaction planning.

Counseled A-list entertainment figure on potential structures to transition copyrights, participation rights and development projects to entity for benefit of children while addressing statutory termination interests.

Represented multi-generation family in creating $20 Million charitable lead trusts to provide ongoing funding of existing family foundation for multiple decades.

Represented Hollywood studio young executive in structuring core plan to protect separate property assets from significant other and provide asset protection for beneficiaries.